Day 2 of of Namaste Giving:

Change Your Mind

 

 My gift to you is to change your mind ;-))

 What do you mean change my mind? In other words, I changed my mind and I'm having a peach instead of a banana. Not exactly. I'm talking about changing the way you think. The way your mind wraps itself around a specific area in your life and holds on for dear life and doesn't let go. Especially when it's not even an area that is working very well for you. What I am referring to is even as radical as changing your personality.

 After a long while, it's common for people to think they don't even have a choice in specific areas of their life, because they have given up or become complacent deciding, “it’s just the way it is”. A simple example is that a friend called me the other day and I asked how his day was and he said "I'm stressed". I asked him what he was stressed about and let him go on for a about a minute. I then said "You don't have to be stressed. You can change your mind". He responded, "Oh yeah, if it was only that easy". Funny thing is that it is that easy, but only if he wanted to make that decision. This point will really annoy some people because if they don't want to see that they have that much responsibility in the way their life has gone and will continue to go, they won't want to read this.

 Bikram Choudry who designed the Bikram's yoga series which is done all over the world says "having doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it. In all the years of our life, we don't use even 3% of our bodies capabilities". He goes on to say "it doesn't matter how healthy you are if your mind is not under control. Your mind can make you Buddha, Hitler, Mother Theresa, Osama Bin Laden. Your mind is supposed to be your best friend, but in most cases it is your number one enemy."

However, In order to do this, it takes letting go of the old and bringing "nada" and "zip" to a common situation. You must be willing to completely start from scratch. It's so ordinary to be stressed in a "stressful situation", but what if you brought nothing. So, for instance, if I asked my friend that was stressed to bring "nada" to his situation at work, what could he create from that place? Could he be more helpful to those around him by having a calm energy? Could he be more available for everything that needed to get done in a calm state rather than having adrenaline pumping through his veins? Could he possibly start enjoying his job? What if he just changed his mind and decided not to be stressed?

 It's possible if you say it's possible. It has to start there.

My gift for you today, is to let go and change your mind. Choose an area where you could admit that it just hasn't been working and change your mind. You are in charge.

 

Create Inspiration and You Will Be Inspired

My gift to you :

Create inspiration and you will always be inspired

 

 It's actually automatic and creates a domino affect for you and the people you inspire.  I'm pretty sure it's impossible to be an inspiration and then find yourself a second later thinking to yourself, "I'm not having a good day....or "life sucks".  It's almost funny to even think of that.

 

Think about it for a second.... When were you an inspiration to someone recently?  Did you help your child with his or her homework or tell your child you love them.  Did you call and friend to say how much they mean to you.  Did you tell someone "yes, you can" when they were telling you "I don't think I can do this".  Did you tell your boss "thanks", or an employee "You are doing an excellent job and I appreciate you".  How did that make you feel?  If you are sitting there, and you cannot think of anything, don't worry.  That's exactly why I'm giving  you this gift.

 It's so easy too.  In a millisecond, you can create inspiration.

 Try this exercise and you will create inspiration today:

 

1.  Choose your medium of communication.

 

It could be in person, by phone, or social media (a posting on Facebook or blog).  In other words, you want to get the communication out there so that it's making a difference.

 

2. The inspiration is what inspires YOU

 

you don't have to sit and think, "what inspires people?"  All you have to know is what inspires you and that's what comes forth that you share.  It's funny, the things that people respond to the most when I share, whether it's something in person with friends or a post on my blog, is when I share from a deep place.  Usually even something that I feel very vulnerable to share. I remember after I shared my story about my eating disorder for the first time in an article that I sent out.  I had so many people get in touch with me and share how much it meant to them, and more than that, they shared their stories with me. Some even shared things with me things they told me they had never even told anyone.  WOW!  Give people permission to share their secrets and you have freed them!!!  So, I'll throw this in.....take a risk!

By the way, it's inspiring to tell someone you love them.  Don't think too hard, because if it inspires you...that's it!  You've got it!

You can inspire ONE person and that's enough.  That's where the domino effect comes in because after you've warmed their heart, they are charged up to pay it forward....automatically.

 

3.  Recognize the power or ONE person (You) and

see what you've created and sent out into the world

 

I know personally, I've come across specific times and topics in my life that bring forth that part of my mind that says "I can't make a difference in this area" or "This is hopeless", or the biggest pitfall (in my opinion), "Someone else will do it". However, you can always make a difference.  I couldn't prevent recent tragedies from occurring in the world, but I can reach out to people I love and see how they are.  I can be a reliable source of listening so that people can feel heard. It's YOU!  It's always YOU that can do something.  After you have been an inspiration, wallow in it.  Most likely, if not always, you will already be thinking of something else to do to ignite inspiration once again.

 

If you try this exercise and would like to share your experience with me.... Share with Lauren Here

 

 

 

 

I'm sending this Gift Early Because of the Recent Tragedy

I decided to send this gift out early based on the recent tragedy in Connecticut.
It's just heartbreaking and I know that people all over the world are experiencing an array of emotions. It's so crucial for us to share with one another and communicate our feelings with all of this going on. Come together and honor one another by sharing your feelings.                                 

I felt that this "gift" was appropriateat this time.

light and love AND NAMASTE ;-)
Lauren

#1 Take Good Care of Your Feelings

 

Just the other day, I found myself literally running in a circle. I was driving,

forgot where I was headed, turned around to go home, remembered where I was going

and then turned around to come home anyway. You ask, "well, if you remembered where

you were going, why did you turn around?" Yes, good question. In the split second

of remembering where I was going, I was immediately in touch with a feeling of anxiety.

I could feel tightness in my chest and my jaw was clenched. I got home walked inside,

sat down on my couch and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and felt like my body

was still in motion.

 

"What is this feeling?" I thought to myself. In seconds, tears were streaming down

my face. I felt an immediate feeling of letting go and release come over my shoulders,

chest and then my whole body. The tears kept coming, and coming. With each wave

of tears, I continued to breathe and release them. After sitting with this for a

while along with the inquiry of "what is this feeling?", I began to get in touch

with something. I had been spending all of my time going and doing so much lately

and had not spent any time just to be with myself. I had not taken any time to

just be. With this clarity, I immediately thought about my family and my close

friends and what really mattered to me. It wasn't about the next thing I had to

do to market my business or how I was going to go to the store to buy something,

or what I was worried about. It all came back to being connected to the people

I love and care about.

 

We are moving so fast so much of the time that it's easy to completely neglect feelings

that may be affecting everyday occurrences. For instance, the same day I was running

in circles, I got a phone call from my mom and when she asked me "How are you?

I didn't hear from you last week." I immediately reacted with anger because of

the place I was in. Instead of just hearing that my mother misses me and wants to

know how I am.

 

Have you found yourself running in a circle lately? Have you been impatient with

yourself and or others?

 

Try this 4 Step Exercise to

Take Care of Your Feelings Today:

 

1.      Sit down for 5 minutes and just get still.

 

Take a long deep inhale and slow exhale. Again. A few more after that. Just be

with the stillness. Be with whatever comes.

 

2.      Now, ask yourself "What's the feeling?"

 

Just be with the inquiry. Allow whatever needs to come forward to come on it's

own. It will come. Allow it to come. It may show up as an emotion at first, it

may not even be clear to you. That's okay. Just be with whatever occurs. Notice

what you experience. Does your throat get tight? Are you wanting to laugh? Cry?

Are you breathing? Do not judge, just be. What's there? Allow it to be.

 

3.      See the feelings and hear what comes to you

 

As I allowed the tears to come, they also came and went. I was left with a feeling

of relaxation and also a deep yearning for wanting to relax and just be. No more

doing, just to be. It felt really good and I was clear I had been neglecting myself

in this way. What are you seeing? What do you hear?

It's all good, whatever it is.

 

4.      Create an affirmation and Acknowlege Yourself

 

It was as if with my eyes closed, I saw me standing there in front of me and I just

wanted to tell myself, "You have nothing to prove, you do enough and now you can

relax". My affirmation for this situation was, "You are enough, just by being".

My persistence to be a pillar of inspiration to others is so important. Yet, I

forgot that without filling back up again, this is not possible. Now that you

see and hear your feelings, what is it that you need to hear? Do you need to acknowledge

yourself for something (or lots of things). Do you need to really connect with

loving who you are? Right now, Create an affirmation around taking care of the

feelings that you are experiencing.

 

Hold your feelings in your arms and give them attention. You will see that they will respond when you

see them, feel them and then acknowledge them.

This is my gift to you.

 

I love you and honor the divine in you

 

Feel free to share your experience with me if you try this exercise.

Share with Lauren Here

 

Forward this to someone you care about.....

xoxoxox, Lauren

 

10 Days of Namaste Giving For You From Me

This is a preview of "10 Days of Namaste Giving". 

 

These gifts from me to you are about honoring the divine in you that is the divine in me.  Namaste can be defined in different ways, and for the sake of this project, I am giving you gifts to honor yourself in many different ways over the course of 10 days at the end of this amazing year of 2012.  We always end our class and say to you "Namaste", so I decided that it would be so much fun to end the year by adoring you, bowing to you and sharing with you in a way that is a constant reminder that our essence is all the same.  We are all one.

These are my gifts for you from me because I honor the divine in you.  Everyday for 10 days at the end of this year, I will send you a gift more valuable than anything you may unwrap this year.  These gifts are 10 Secrets that can allow you to unveil the natural state of bliss that exists in all of us. These secrets are actions that I've incorporated into my own life throughout the years. The ways of thinking that I share and exercises I will incorporate have allowed massive shifts to take place in my life. The best part is that it's really all the small action steps that allows the changes to take place and make room for big things to happen.  They are simple and easy and can be incorporated into your life so that you can end this year with a huge bang and create that life you want in 2013!

 

I'm allowing you to open this one early if you click here!! 
www.wellnessbylauren.com and sign up for my EZine

You will receive your Preview Gift tomorrow!
 

You will receive your Namaste Gifts December 21-31st, 2012.

What's Your Inner Critic Up to Today?

I got a glimpse of my Inner Critic the other day and hadn't actually heard her show up in a while. Just in case you aren't clear what I mean when I say " inner critic", it is that voice that speaks up without being  called on and can share some pretty ugly, negative, short sighted thoughts that contain no faith, hope or strength.  Got it Now?

Well, she wasn't holdin' back!!  On top of that, I was in a place where I was actually listening.  I'm clear when this voice is speaking, and can mostly thank her for sharing and move on knowing it's clearly no help to my life.  I was tired on this day and was a bit raw from a weekend that was filled with some more emotions than normal.  So, I listened and I began believing what she told me.  " your not going to meet that special person! Aren't you tired of going out on dates and not being attracted to the guy and just counting the minutes to go home? Isn't is kind of a lost cause? You are also getting kind of old and you aren't the ripest for the picking".

Ouch!

As I went on with my day, I could see myself being on edge, responding to people in a short way, screening calls instead of talking and feeling tired when I had plenty of sleep under my belt.  I know I needed a regrouping.  I got home, shut the door behind me, took a deep breath and said aloud "Okay, what's going on here? " I was clear within minutes that my inner critic had not just piped in but had taken over the show.

Almost immediately, I felt compelled to sit down and write and this is what I wrote:

Dear Lauren,

I see your soul and I see what's most important to you.  You are concerned for people, you are concerned for their happiness. I see how much you want people to get that they are intended to live a life they love and they get to say the way their life goes.  I see how much love you have to give and see you share it daily.  Your desire to be connected to others, share with them and empower them is such a gift and one that will never be wasted.  Your sensitive caring and empathic nature is so special and allows others the space to heal.  You have everything you need to transform whatever needs transforming in order to create and live your best life. I see you step into it each and every day.  Don't be surprised when you stand inside your best life, the whole package, nothing missing.  I see you having love around you because you are a beam of light and love for everyone else.  You are plenty, you are enough and you are on a divine path.

That will show my inner critic whose in charge!

This letter just put me right back on my path.  I will put myself out there.  It's only likely that we get to have the life we want if we already stand in the energy of living that life already.  It's not a feeling of longing for, but a feeling that you already have it.  Now that my inner critic was no longer running the show, I could get on with it. 

Is your Inner Critic running the show today? Try sitting down and writing yourself a letter.  A letter you would love to receive and read about you.  Answer these questions: what do you know for sure about yourself?  What is really important to you as a human being?  What are you capable of?  What difference do you know that you make in the world?  Write it, read it, believe it.  You are plenty, you are enough and you are on a divine path.